A Secret Battle
by Kristin The Writer
Summary: Takes place during Helm's Deep, in the caves below. What if enemies found that "passage" that led into the mountains? (PG-13 for violence and occassional language.)
1. Introduction

A/N: I thought that I would get inspiration for more fic-writing *after* I saw The Two Towers. ut actually, my first lightbulg came *during* the movie, right there in the theatre. Maybe it was because the thought of all the women at Helm's Deep being ushered into the caves, deemed useless, really pissed me off. Maybe. Anyway, enjoy!  
  
  
~* Introduction *~  
  
"There is one passage. It leads into the mountains."  
  
  
While the historical Battle of Helm's Deep was faught above ground, in the caves the women and children of Rohan waited. But what if some of the "Mountain Men" that Saruman set under his spell found that passage? What if they attacked the women and children, left there defenseless without a single weapon? What if they sent word to the Uruk-hai that there was a "back door" into Helm's Deep, making the already-impossible war two-fronted? And, finally, what if the only ones who could stop this from happening - and could stop the massacre of all the people of Rohan - were the "defenseless" women? 


	2. Turning

A/N: I continue to be pissed. A "friend" of mine called me a shitty writer. I could use some affirmation.  
  
~* Chapter One: Turning *~  
  
"A cage," whispered Eowyn ruefully, shaking her head as she gazed at the women and children, huddled together for comfort and warmth in the cold caves of Helm's Deep.   
  
"A tomb," came a voice with a slightly more playful tone to it, from behind Eowyn. Smiling, she turned, facing the other young woman.  
  
"Rinweth!" she exclaimed, collecting her friend - weary, dirty from a long journey - in a hug. "When did you arrive?"  
  
"Just before they shut us in," replied Rinweth, tiredly. "The road seemed to be growing longer beneath our feet."  
  
"Oh, no matter! You're here now!"   
  
Rinweth smiled sadly, nodding. "I hope things go well above."  
  
No sooner had she spoken, then did the entire cavern rumble and shake. Frightened cries sounded out, and Eowyn looked to Rinweth.   
  
"Is it an earthshake?" Rinweth asked, looking to her friend, sharing her confused and concerned expression.  
  
"No," replied Eowyn, raising a hand. The rumbling continued, beginning and stopping, beginning and stopping, in a steady 'boom boom boom'. "It comes from above."  
  
Both women raised their gaze to the cave's ceiling, watching it. Dust and rubble sprinkled down upon them. Then, it stopped, and a silence followed that Rinweth thought was more horrible and unbearable than the pounding and shaking had been. Eowyn held her breath.  
  
And then cries from above, screams and shrieks and shouts and such pained sounds, man and orc alike. Children held their ears, eyes shut as though that would drive the sounds away. It did not. More pounding, the clanging of swords and chainmail, the twanging of arrows, and more battle-cries, orcs and men shouting out in victory. And in death.  
  
Rinweth took Eowyn's hand, holding it comfortingly, squeezing lightly. The two women stood, listening to the cries from above, trying to discern how the men were doing, how things were faring for Rohan.  
  
Things seemed to be faring badly. Pressing her lips together, Rinweth glanced about slowly, and her attention was drawn to a door, hidden behind a few baskets of food.   
  
"What's that?" she asked Eowyn, gesturing with her head, nodding in that direction.  
  
"The passage into the mountains," came the response from Eowyn, distractedly, still staring up at the ceiling of the cave, as though if she willed it enough the fate of the battle might change for the better. Rinweth, however, was watching the door, in thought, her head tilted to the side.  
  
And that's when the door's handle started to turn.  
  
  
~* A/N: I like cliff-hangers! How 'bout you? *~ 


	3. Breach

A/N: I got called "evil" for writing a cliffhanger in the first chapter. So bwahaha. In conclusion, candy canes are good.  
  
  
Ringweth gasped sharply, her grasp on Eowyn's hand tightened. Blinking, sensing that something was wrong with her friend, Eowyn leaned closer, whispering into her ear.   
  
"What is it?"  
  
But Ringweth's gaze was upon the door. The handle stopped turning and, for a few long moments, Ringweth thought that maybe she imagined it. But she was silent still, and it was nearly a full minute before she exhaled, breathing a sigh of relief.  
  
"I thought I saw the door move," she whispered to Eowyn, who, by now, was looking quite concerned.  
  
"The dim light tricks your eyes," Eowyn concluded with a slight smile. "I have thought that I've seen the same thing several times already." Nodding, Ringweth couldn't decide if that comforted her or not.  
  
She didn't have much time to think on it. Just as the noise above them was reaching it's loudest it had ever been, another sound came from within. Baskets of food were overturned as the door, the mountain-passage, was thrust open. Startled cries erupted from the crowd of women and children, soon giving way to shouts of friend and screams of horror.  
  
"Wild men!"  
  
"Men of the mountains!"  
  
Almost as one, the women and children crowded over to the other side of the cave, far away from the door as they could get. Eleven men stood in the doorway, looking from the frightened people of Rohan to each other, and grinning, wide nearly-toothless grins.  
  
Ringweth and Eowyn stood, stunned, feet stuck in place. Then, finally, Eowyn hissed into her friend's ear.  
  
"We must get some of our men."  
  
"Eowyn," her friend whispered back, wide eyes locked on the mountain men. "WE could fight them."  
  
"With bread loaves and half-rotten cheese?" Eowyn shot back, gaze ticking to Ringweth. "Be reasonable."  
  
"No," said Ringweth, finally looking up to Eowyn. The men were trickling inside, surveying the women and children the way a warg gazes upon its prey. "Eowyn, if any of them get back to the orcs, they'll come through this way. The men won't expect it, they wouldn't be ready. They'd be finished, Eowyn. They'd DIE."  
  
  
~* A/N: Okay, okay. I swear. I'll start the fighting next chapter. *~ 


End file.
